Rotary sorting machine



Oct. 11, 1938. H. STRAYER ROTARY SORTING MACHINE Filed Oct. 20, 1956 INVENTOR. ZAW/PE/VCE /z &/?AY ER ATTORNEYS 45 ing sheet ofdraWings'in-which; I

Patented Oct.11,1938 I i :1 z

u-mrsosmrss PATENT om cs 4 2,133,061 I l v Korma Somme-MACHINE.

LawrenceRjSti-ayer; Kent, Ohio. assignor to The 'Lams'on &"Se'ssions Company,- Kent, Ohio, a

corporation of Ohio Application; ember 20, 1936; Serial- 86,106,607

' z-oiaims. (crate- 82) This invention relates to apparatus. for sorting of the gauge elements which may be used in my bolts or other articles, and more; particularly sorting machine and showing the gauge elements to an'improved' machine'of thiskindwhich is in elevation, and capable of relatively highspeed operation, and Fig. -5-is. a detached plan view of the gauge ;which automatically selects" and dischargesthe. elements.

articles of oversize or irregular character." My improved sorting machine is especially use- An object of my invention'isto providean imful in the manufacture and handling of bolts proved sorting machine'- having a gauge-and an and other articles, and operates to sort out ararticle supplying means, and whereina mov-. ticles which are of irregular or unsatisfactory ei-able support operates'to; repeatedly bring the l'aA-Abe sticn e c pa y g drawing gauge into position to receive individual article tQ'Whi-Ch more detailed reference will presently from the supplying means. be made, I have shown my invention embodiedin Another object of myrinvention is to provide a sorting machine which is adapted to handle an improved sorting machinehavinga gauge and threaded bolts or the like, but 'it should be under- ;rotary means operable to supply individual arstood that theinvention may be embodied in 5 ticles in succession to the gauge; i machines of different form and construction from Still another object of my invention is-to-prothat herein disclosed'and' may e pp to-the Videan improved machine .for" sorting bolts; or sorting of 'various other articles; other articles, having a pair of rotatable drums My improved Sorting machine y e p ded zo with peripheral openings adapted to registerfwitn with'a suitable frame or suppo t w as each other during rotation, and wherein article shown-in this insta ay h a generally gauging and feeding means. associated with the top I I. A 'pairof disk-like members or drums openings of the respectivedrumsare-brought, lz'and y 0n S a ts and '5 into cooperatingrelation during-the rotation-of fonrotationabove'the'top H." Thedrums- I2 35 th dr m andil3 'lieinwsubstantially the same transverse a t r bject of 'my-jnvgntioh i t vid plane and' theshafts l4 and I5 thereof-are spaced 2. sorting machine, of thetype referred to, hav apart a distance such that the perip er ledges ing a gauge and a rotary feed device operable o-f thei-drums 'are'just' out of contact with'each to supply individual articles thereto in succes- 'd g' otat o 1 The -drumsmay be of 3051011, and wherein means cooperating with the thesame" diameter and may be connected gauge acts to eject articles therefrom. through su tab fi S a a d id er .S-till another object of myinvention isto prog a s I! and I, so that y Will r tat t t e vide an improved sortin'g machine; of thetype same speed-but inopposite directionssimulating referred to, having a gauge adapted .to'permib the rotation which they would. have if they ro- 35 passage of articles of predetermined charactertated with their peripheral surfaces in contact. 35 istics and to temporarily hold other articles, and The drums maybe driven by any suitable power wherein individual articles are supplied to the means such as an electric motor having a drive gauge during relative rotary movement-between connection with one of the shafts or one of the the latter and an article feeding means andautogears mentioned above. p matically operated means ejects'thearticles tem- ,For a purpose to be presently explained the 40 porarily held by the gauge- I drumv.l2 isprovided'with peripheral openings Other objects and advantages ofmy invention which are spaced apart circumferentially and W l be. pp from e 0W1ng:descripti0n which communicate with larger openings o-rrei- W e 'ta e in Co junction with theaccompanycessesextending inwardly of the drum toward the shaftllfthereof; In this instance'I showtwo F 941118411 view a r c 'sorting-ma-f peripheral openings and 2-! leading into the hine embodying invention- 1 r larger openingst'fla and 21a, although any suitiFig.2 is a partial plan view thereof butshowable number? of such sets of' openings can be. ingthe gauge carrying member'in a diiferent poprovided. The drum I3 is provided around-the 5U;-sition.- j e 1 edge thereof with an upstanding flange or rim'50 Fig. 3 is a partial transverse sectional .view: 23 which is. interruptedv at circumferentially taken through the gaugecarrying member and spaced points by substantially radially extending article ejecting meanSQQaSJindicatedJby line 3%3 .ope'nings'therethrough. In thisinstance I show: of Fig.2; 1 i twosuch radial openings 14 and 25"to corre- Fig. 4; is a detachedview illustrating onex-formz' spond ingnumbe'r and arcuate spacing with the member of my sorting machine and the drum l3 constitutes a part of the article feeding or sup plying means. be used in my sorting machine comprises a pair of elements 26 and 2'l'spaced apart a-distance which'permits the passage therebetween of all articles or" satisfactory form or characteristic but which prevents passage of articles of irregular or oversize characteristics. A gauge-formed by .a pair of such cooperating elements is mountedin each of the peripheral openings of the drum, so that the articles of satisfactory characteristic which passthrough the gaugesmove intothelarger openings or recesses 20a and Zia of the drum. I I i The gauge elements 26 and 21 may be in the 'form of elongated arcuateblocks conforming substantially to thecurvature of the periphery oi the drum l2 and having their adjacent ends spaced to provide the desired gauge opening to which the articles are to be presented. When the articles to be sorted arebolts' having threaded stems, as in this instance, the adjacent ends of the gauge elements 25 and 21 are provided with teeth or serrations 28, as shown'in Fig. 4.

.- Ifthe stems of the bolts being sorted'are of proper size and form the threads 'thereof will mesh with the serrations 28 and the bolts will pass through the gauge opening. .If the stem is oversize or if the thread is of improper pitch or 'form the bolt will not pass through the gauge but will be temporarily retained therein.

The openings 24 and 25 provided in the flange 23 of the drurn l3 constitute article receiving pockets which move past the lower. end of a magazine or galiey 30 containing a supply of the bolts to be sorted. -As the openings 24 andZF- pass the lower end of the magazine 30 individual bolts move thereinto as the result of gravity or pressure acting'on the suppiy of bolts in the magazine. When individual bolts are received in the openings 24 and 25 of the drum I31 the stem extends downwardly between the opposed shoulders defining the sides of the openings and is held by these shoulders against shifting circumferentially of the drum; To prevent the bolts from being thrown out of the openings 24 to the gauges of the corresponding'openings 20 and 25 by centrifugal force I provide an arcuate guard or retaining membertl adjacent a portion of the periphery of the drum and extending from the magazine 30 around in the direction of rotation'to a point adjacent the transfer station at which the openings of the drum"! 3 registe'r'with the openings of the drum l2.

. For ejecting the bolts from the'openings 24 and 25 of the drum l3 andpresenting the same and 2! of the drum I2 I provide-ejeetors preferably in the form of plungers 32. and33. These .plungers may be mounted on the drum 13 to move radially outwardly into the article receiving openings .24, andZEitothereby eject the bolts.

7 frornthese openings and push them into the gauges. The plungers *may be slidablein, andv 5E guided by, suitable bearingsf35 which are mount,-

One form of gauge 'which may" magazine 30, so that the individual articles may pass from the magazine into the openings with-. out interference from the plungers. For this purpose I provide a cam 40, which may be sup- ;ported above'the drum l3 by a bracket 4| extending from the top H, and with which the block portions 36 of the plungers cooperate. The cam 40 may bean elongated arcuately extending member, asshown in Fig. 1, which islocated to be engaged by the block portion 36 of each plung'er'immediately after the plunger passes the transfer station at which the bolt is ejected from the opening of the drum l3 and pushed into the opening of the gauge. The rotation of the drum l3 occurring justafter engagement of the bloci;

portion 36 with the cam 40 results in the plunger being retracted'as the block portion slides along the inclined cam face and, when the article receiving opening reaches a position opposite the magazine 3!], theplunger is fully retracted and the corresponding drum opening is free to re-' ceive a bolt from the magazine.

'As each article receiving opening moves away from the magazine 30 the block portion '36 of the cerresponding plunger leaves the cam 43, whereupon the spring 38 moves the plunger outwardly and causes the bolt to be pressed against the guard member 3|. During movementof the article receiving opening or pocket from the magazine 30 to the transfer station, the bolt is retained in its pocket by the guard member and either rolls or slides along the inner surface of the latter. When the bolt-carrying opening or pocket of the drum 13 passes the'end 3| of the guard member 3| the bolt is no longer confined radially and the spring 38 then forces the plunger outwardly causing-the bolt to be ejected from the pocket and pushed into the opening of the gauge which'is then in registry,for example the gauge 2| as shown in: Fig. 1.' If the article is of the desired predetermined characteristic it passes through the gauge opening and into the larger opening 2Ia of the drum I2, as indicated in Fig.1, from which it drops downwardly and passes through an opening of the top H into a suitable receptacle.

If the bolt is oversize or of irregular form it will not pass through the gauge opening but will be temporarily held between the gauge ele ments. As the drums continue to rotate the plunger of the drum [3 separates from the gauge leaving the holttemporarily held therein and the gauge passes behind an arcuately extending the drumllewith an 'ejectordevice comprising a bell crank lever 45 which may be pivoted on a projection 46 of the drum so that the arm 4'! thereof is adapted to swing across the drum opening and move outwardly between the adjacent ends of the gauge elements. The other arm of the bell crank lever extends downwardly in angular relation and forms a trigger 48 which is adapted to engage a cam 49.- A tension spring 50 normally holds the lever 45 in retracted position, but when the trigger 48 engages the cam 49 the lever is swung on its pivot and the upper arm thereof moves outwardly between the' gauge elements to eject the bolt therefrom. As shown in Fig. 2 the cam 49 is located adjacent the receptacle 43 and causes this outward movement of the ejector to occur immediately after the gauge passes the end 44 of the guard member 42.-

Although I have shownthe gauge elements 26 and 21 as having teeth or serrations 28, it will be understood, of course, that plain gauge elements may be used if desired when unthreaded bolt blanks or like articles are to be sorted. It will also be understood that various other forms of gauge elements may be employed without departing from the invention. i

From the foregoing description and the accompanying drawing it will now be readily 'understood that I have provided an improved sorting machine which is adapted to be operated at relatively high speed and which automatically selects and discharges those bolts or other articles which are of unsatisfactory or irregular form or characteristic.

While I have illustrated and described the sorting machine of my invention it will be understood, of course, that I do not wish to be limited to the precise details and arrangements herein disclosed, but regard my invention as including such changes and modifications as do not involve a departure from the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claims.

' retain other articles, means for feeding individualarticles to the opening of the other drum, a

plunger operable to transfer the individual articles from the opening of said other drum to said gauge, means for actuating said plunger to retract the'same adjacent the feeding station and to extend the same adjacent the transfer station, and means for retaining the articles in the opening of said other drum during travel from the feeding station to the transfer station.

2. In a machine of the character described the combination of a pair of rotatable drums having peripheral openings adapted to register with each other during rotation of the drums, a gauge in the opening of one drum comprising a pair of elements spaced to permit passage of articles of predetermined characteristic and to temporarily retain other articles, means for feeding individual articles to the opening of the other drum, a plunger operable to transfer the individual articles from the opening of said other drum to said gauge, means for actuating said plunger to retract the same adjacent the feeding station and to extend the same adjacent the transfer station, means forretaining the articles in the opening of said other drum during travel from the feeding station to'the transfer station, and means operable to eject the temporarily retained articles from the gauge.

LAWRENCE H. STRAYER. 

